Aluminium
- Surface energy (dyne/cm)
- ~840
- Sticks with standard adhesive?
- Yes — easy
Data reference
Reference · Nº 01
Surface energy (dyne levels) of common label surfaces
The ~40 dyne/cm line divides easy-to-stick from hard-to-stick surfaces. Metal and glass sit high — aluminium ~840, glass 200–300 dyne/cm — so almost any adhesive bonds. Common bottle plastics sit low: PVC 39, PET 36, HDPE 31, polypropylene 29, PTFE 18. Below ~36 dyne/cm a standard pressure-sensitive adhesive barely wets the surface, so labels lift — the usual reason a sticker peels off an HDPE bottle.
| Surface | Surface energy (dyne/cm) | Sticks with standard adhesive? |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | ~840 | Yes — easy |
| Glass | 200–300 | Yes — easy |
| PVC (vinyl) | 39 | Borderline |
| PET (polyester) | 36 | Borderline |
| HDPE | 31 | No — low surface energy |
| Polypropylene (PP) | 29 | No — low surface energy |
| PTFE | 18 | No — very hard to bond |
Glass
- Surface energy (dyne/cm)
- 200–300
- Sticks with standard adhesive?
- Yes — easy
PVC (vinyl)
- Surface energy (dyne/cm)
- 39
- Sticks with standard adhesive?
- Borderline
PET (polyester)
- Surface energy (dyne/cm)
- 36
- Sticks with standard adhesive?
- Borderline
HDPE
- Surface energy (dyne/cm)
- 31
- Sticks with standard adhesive?
- No — low surface energy
Polypropylene (PP)
- Surface energy (dyne/cm)
- 29
- Sticks with standard adhesive?
- No — low surface energy
PTFE
- Surface energy (dyne/cm)
- 18
- Sticks with standard adhesive?
- No — very hard to bond
Typical published surface-energy values for clean surfaces. Actual dyne level varies with additives, mould-release residue and treatment — test your exact substrate.
How to read it
- →About 40 dyne/cm divides low- from high-energy surfaces. Below ~36, standard adhesives barely wet the surface and labels lift.
- →Fixes for low-surface-energy plastics: a low-surface-energy (LSE) high-tack adhesive; corona or plasma treatment (raises the surface to ~44–50 dyne/cm); a primer/adhesion promoter; or more application pressure.
- →Recycled or unknown plastics have unstable surface energy and need per-batch testing.
Common questions
What is the surface energy of HDPE and polypropylene?
HDPE is about 31 dyne/cm and polypropylene about 29 dyne/cm — both below the ~36 threshold a standard adhesive needs, which is why labels lift off them without a low-surface-energy adhesive.
What surface energy do you need for a label to stick?
Roughly 40 dyne/cm or above lets a standard adhesive wet and bond well. Below ~36 you need a low-surface-energy (LSE) high-tack adhesive, or you can corona/plasma-treat the surface to raise it to ~44–50 dyne/cm.
Your case is specific?
Tell us your surface, temperature and environment and we’ll match the exact material and adhesive — and ship a free sample.
Materials facts verified by
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